Maria Fama

Maria Fama

NUN PROMETTIRI A SANTI E PICCIRIDDIDON’T MAKE PROMISES TO SAINTS AND CHILDREN

When I was a little girlevery year in late summera man with a mahogany arm visitedcollecting money for the poorin honor of San Nicola da TolentinoHe sat at our kitchen tablesipping espresso, munching biscotti,writing into his donation book,all with his left handhis richly dark right armwith the curved hand anddelicate, carved fingernailssat motionless on the table topMy parents always gave moneywe always attended the partythe man with the mahogany arm hosted in Septemberin honor of Saint Nicholas of Tolentinoin a hall jammed with children and adultspiles of panini, big platters of pasta,trays of cookies, tubs of soda and beer on ice,a bar for whiskey and anisette,music, dancing, and laughterthe man with the mahogany arm stoodin the center of it allsmiling, joking, singing,his still wooden armhanging at his sideWhen my father told us the story ofthe man with the mahogany armhe began, Nun promettiri a santi e picciriddiDon’t make promises to saints and childrenwhen the man with the mahogany armwas a young man in Italyhe got very sickhe prayed to San Nicola da Tolentinopromising that if he got wellhe would collect money for the poor andhold a big feast in the Saint’s honorthe man got better time passedhe forgot his promise to San Nicolawhen his right arm began to swellit had to be cut offa mahogany arm replaced ithe then remembered his promisewhich he fulfilled every yeareven when he came to Americahe went house to house collecting money for the poorand honoring the Saint with a big partyNun promettiri a santi e picciriddiDon’t make promises to saints and childrenSaints I knew were powerful but I askedHow could a child force someoneto keep a promise?My father explained, Nun promettiri a santi e picciriddi becausechildren will give you no peace they will keep askingthey will say, “You promised!” over and overthey will not forgetyou will wish you never promisedDon’t make promises to saints and childrenSaints and children expect a promise to be keptchildren will annoy in the short termsaints will act in the long termit is best to heed the adviceNun promettiri a santi e picciriddi.

Maria Famà is an award-winning author of seven books of poetry. She has been featured in films reading her poetry. Her poems, short stories, and essays have appeared in numerous publications. Her latest books are Other Nations: an animal journal by Pearlsong Press (2017) and Mystics in the Family by Bordighera Press (2013). Of Sicilian descent, Famà lives and works in Philadelphia.